They're coming (judging from the roar outside, some are already here), but before Milwaukee's a sea of orange and black for the Harley-Davidson 110th Anniversary bash later this week, there's still plenty to do arouund town.

Singer-songwriter John Hiatt is back in town, for an 8 p.m. show with the Combo at the Pabst Theater. TIckets are $37.50. | Aug. 26, 2013»Read Full Blog Post

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra has received more than $1 million in donations and pledges since announcing its $5 million emergency fundraising campaign earlier this month, the organization's president and chief executive said Friday.

"We're really on track to make this work," said Mark Niehaus, who spoke at the Milwaukee Press Club's newsmaker luncheon. "People in Milwaukee understand the value of the Milwaukee Symphony. But they also understand that we didn't just cry wolf." | Dec. 20, 2013»Read Full Article(15)

TVNewsCheck.com has reported that the FCC today approved the sale of 16 stations owned by Local TV LLC, including WITI-TV (Channel 6), by the Tribune Company.

WITI-TV - whose call letters are an acronym of its first owner, Independent Television Inc. — has had several owners since it went on the air in 1956, including Storer Broadcasting (1958), George Gillette (1987), New World (1994) and News Corp. (1997). | Dec. 20, 2013»Read Full Blog Post(3)

In the title sequence of her new poetry collection "Glass Armonica," Rebecca Dunham creates words and voices for women, past and present, who've been labeled, diagnosed or written off as hysterics.

Dunham goes back as far in time as "Mary Glover in London, 1602," whose fits led physician Edward Jorden to use the word hysterical, and to attribute Glover's woes to strangulatus uteri. | Dec. 20, 2013»Read Full Article(1)

Greg Borowski, a Journal Sentinel editor, writes a Christmas story every year for his family and friends. His previous Christmas stories are collected in two books, "A Christmas Wish" and the earlier "The Christmas Heart."

The little girl walked in with her father, the door jangling shut behind them. Her coat had the top button missing and was too thin for the cold — that caught my attention first. No hat, no mittens. She stomped the snow from her feet and I realized she had no boots.

If my wife were still with us, she would have dug into her bag and pulled out one of those scarves she was always knitting, wrapped it around the girl's neck and sent her on her way. But she has been gone seven years now. When she passed, I turned to volunteering to fill the time, which is how I came to spend my December nights ringing the lonely bell inside the doorway of McCormick's Toy Depot. | Dec. 20, 2013»Read Full Article(3)

Art pops

Create your own "Ho! Ho! Ho!"s by watching the Marx Brothers 1935 masterpiece "A Night at the Opera" while spending Wednesday afternoon at the Jewish Museum Milwaukee, 1360 N Prospect Ave. The museum is exhibiting "Andy Warhol: 10 Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century," which includes a Marx Brothers portrait, so the film and exhibit are in harmony. The museum will also show "Superstar: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol" and will serve free popcorn. The show starts at noon and lasts till 4 p.m. The party is free with admission to the museum: $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, $3 for students and free for children under the age of 6; family admission is $15. | Dec. 20, 2013»Read Full Article

Infectious alt rock band Grouplove gave one of the best performances during WLUM-FM's two-day Big Snow Show 8 last week. It'll be back at the Rave in the spring. Photo by Pamela Littky.| Dec. 20, 2013»Read Full Blog Post

There's a good breakfast waiting inside Mad Rooster in West Milwaukee, past the country-themed doodads.

Mad Rooster creates a mini-universe for its guests, starting with the red barnlike facade that transformed it from the diner Vicki's early this year. Owned by Andreas Bouraxis, who also owns El Fuego and El Beso Mexican restaurants, it's not just a place to eat but an elaborate set as well. | Dec. 20, 2013»Read Full Article

Restaurants are offering special multicourse dinners, often with additional savory or sweet treats, to say goodbye to 2013 and hello to 2014, but some are planning other formats. Have a look at some of the possibilities, both near and far: | Dec. 20, 2013»Read Full Article